A Korean War veteran and former plumbing inspector for the City of Elgin, Wallace Eugene Fellows liked socializing at the local VFW post and playing golf with his brother, Herbert. “He was a ball of fire and a lot of fun, very sharp and quick-witted,” said his brother. A longtime resident of Elgin, Mr. Fellows, 74, died of asbestos lung disease Friday, Dec. 5, at home in Naples, Fla., where he moved after retiring in 1991. Born in Elgin, he graduated from Elgin High School in 1947 and worked as a plumber’s apprentice for J.L. Wagner Plumbing & Piping in St. Charles. He served in the Marines during the Korean War, and when he returned went to work for his father’s heating and plumbing business. When his father, Virgil, died in 1981, Mr. Fellows took over his job as the city’s plumbing inspector. A few years later, he went to work for Elgin School District 46, retiring when he was 62. Other survivors include two sons, Edwin and Richard; one daughter, Deniece; two sisters, Betty Peabody and Carol Shear; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday in Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 330 Griswold St., Elgin.
